Active discussions

Best Amazon Prime Day deals: Mumsnet favourites

Best Amazon Prime Day deals:
Mumsnet favourites

Shop now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Drinking so young?

39 replies

Blessedbethefruit01 · 25/07/2021 07:50

Went to a little get together at someone's home last night. There was a couple there I didn't know. She had 2 children. One was 8, the other 13. The 13 year old was drinking alcopops and beer. Was clearly drunk, they thought it was funny. The 8 year old was drinking alcopops.
Aibu to think this is too young to drink at a party?

OP posts:
ZaraW · 25/07/2021 07:59

IF it happened you already know the answer.

CatsArePeople · 25/07/2021 08:13

8? way too young. And 13 is way too young to be drunk.

Mummadeze · 25/07/2021 08:18

That sounds like social services should be involved / a form of child abuse. Didn’t you say something to them at the time? Ridiculous behaviour from the parents :(

SmidgenofaPigeon · 25/07/2021 08:21

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk guidelines.

Orf1abc · 25/07/2021 08:26

Mine have a bottle of wkd every night before bed. Does 'em no harm!

icelollycraving · 25/07/2021 08:27

Ok, if this happened and you didn’t say a word, then I think as little of you. A child of 8 should not be drinking, obviously. A child of 13, ideally not but moderate drinking at home can remove some of the excitement of alcohol. A child being drunk, no, fairly obvious that is shit from all adults present.

daisypond · 25/07/2021 08:29

I would think it too young, but the legal age for drinking at home is actually only five.

DoucheCanoe · 25/07/2021 08:30

@Orf1abc that's awful!

WKD are full of sugar. Stiff shot of Jack Daniels in our house.

icedcoffees · 25/07/2021 08:33

@Orf1abc

Mine have a bottle of wkd every night before bed. Does 'em no harm!
Think of the sugar content ShockWink
DoucheCanoe · 25/07/2021 08:40

Seriously though OP, it's not something i'd be comfortable with personally BUT legally a child can have alcohol at 5 with parental supervision at home.

At 13 i'd have been happy to give mine an alcopop/koppaberg/beer or 2 (max) at a family gathering which may well have made him a bit tipsy and teens like to play up on it and appear "drunk" so maybe that was the case here?

As for the 8 year old, mine has had sips of drinks but i'd never give them one of their own!

nimbuscloud · 25/07/2021 08:40

Why would you think you are unreasonable to think 8 and 13 are too young to drink alcohol?

daisypond · 25/07/2021 08:42

@nimbuscloud

Why would you think you are unreasonable to think 8 and 13 are too young to drink alcohol?
Because the legal age is five and the children are way above that age?
Effinell · 25/07/2021 08:48

I went to a party years ago and the 'mother' for want of a better word was giving her 3 year old sips of blue WKD. I left and called social services on the Monday morning. I don't know if anything was ever done, I've never seen her again and that was about 18 years ago.

Hellodarknessmyoldpal · 25/07/2021 08:49

If this happened and I was there I wouldn't be comfortable with it.

IceCreamAndCandyfloss · 25/07/2021 08:55

And your first thought after witnessing this was not to call social services but post on the internet Hmm

BlueSurfer · 25/07/2021 08:58

@Orf1abc

Mine have a bottle of wkd every night before bed. Does 'em no harm!
I used to love wkd but the caffeine in them kept me up for hours.
BlueSurfer · 25/07/2021 09:02

Whilst it is legal to give a child of five and above alcohol, allowing/encouraging a minor to get drunk is a different matter.

Original poster
Blessedbethefruit01 · 25/07/2021 09:44

Why are people saying if this happened 🙄 why would I make that up 🥴
Yes it did happen. Me and my partner were both horrified. Seemed like we were the only ones who thought so.

OP posts:
Original poster
Blessedbethefruit01 · 25/07/2021 11:10

Why would i call social services. It is actually legal. But more of a moral thing.
Plus it was my partner's friends we were at and didn't want to make it uncomfortable

OP posts:
DifficultPifcultLemonDifficult · 25/07/2021 11:13

I don't want mine to get used to sweet alcopops so just give them straight vodka.

Its totally fine.

SmidgenofaPigeon · 25/07/2021 11:24

I mean really- how many alcohpops did this eight year old allegedly have? They’d have just been sick or had to lie down. I can’t imagine witnessing this and not saying anything 😂

Original poster
Blessedbethefruit01 · 25/07/2021 12:16

@SmidgenofaPigeon

I mean really- how many alcohpops did this eight year old allegedly have? They’d have just been sick or had to lie down. I can’t imagine witnessing this and not saying anything 😂
Just one bottle but was also eating the fruit that had been sitting in alcohol all day too
OP posts:
WitchesNStuff · 25/07/2021 12:26

8 is too young to be drinking at all other than a little sip from parents drink. 13 too young to be drunk, maybe one low alcohol drink perhaps. I drank from about 13/14 but my DCs haven't. 15 yo DS drinks a few under our supervision but thats it, 13 yo doesnt at all.

WitchesNStuff · 25/07/2021 12:28

Thinking about it I probably let DS1 have 1 drink at 13, it's only this year he's had more.

LindaEllen · 25/07/2021 12:32

I had the occasional alcopop once I was in high school, but I mean ONE, and absolutely nowhere near drunk, and 8 is WAY too young.